A group of Opposition Parliamentarians, including those from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), today filed a petition at the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka challenging the recently gazetted Online Safety Bill.
The petition was filed by SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the Vice Chairman of the SJB Youth Front Rehan Jayawickrama, and Independent MP Professor G.L . Peiris.
The petitioners claim that the Bill violates the fundamental rights of the public, and must be passed with a 2/3rd majority in Parliament as well as a referendum.
The Online Safety Bill was published in the Sri Lankan Government Gazette in September 2023.
Key objectives of the bill include establishing the Online Safety Commission, making provisions to prohibit online communication of certain statements of fact in Sri Lanka, preventing the use of online accounts and inauthentic online accounts for prohibited purposes, making provisions to identify and declare online locations used for prohibited purposes in Sri Lanka, and to suppress the financing and other support of communication of false statements of fact. (NewsWire)
